‘Rss-linked outfits not against multinational firms’
NEW DELHI: Weeks after it targeted Infosys for helping “naxalites, leftists and tuke-tukde gang”, Panchajanya, a magazine influenced by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in its latest edition described Amazon as “East India Company 2.0”. Ashwani Mahajan, national co-convener of Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an offshoot of RSS that seeks indigenuous production, says in an interview to HT that the right wing organisation is not against multinational companies, but there are several concerns over its operations in country. are against multinational companies or India’s wealth creators. All we want is that they operate within the ambit of the law. Criticising any company that has circumvented the laws is not a witchhunt or targeting. We have had discussions with Amazon as well. They are welcome to do business in India but they have to do so within the ambit of the law.
They have to behave like a platform, and cannot give discounts… also, they do not have right to keep inventory. The process of deep discounts which Amazon is giving needs to end because eventually, by giving heavy discounts, they are eating into the market of small traders and what are essentially mom-and-pop stores.
SJM has raised concerns over e-commerce policy at many times. What do you expect from government?
The government came out with e-commerce rules for consumer protection. We told the government there is no substitute for a comprehensive and all-encompassing e-commerce policy that not only caters to consumers but also small-time workers, vendors and service providers.
Some of our start-ups are no longer Indian as they have flipped away. This flipping can have implications on the national economic interests. It leads to immense economic and national loss as an Indian company becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of a foreign corporation despite a 90% plus value creation from India, resulting in loss of all future tax on capital gains, public listing and operational profits, etc.